


I Promised

by rhysespieses



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt, M/M, Runaari, reunite ruthari, runaan in the coin, ruthari
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:40:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21763894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhysespieses/pseuds/rhysespieses
Summary: Runaan spends his time in the coin thinking about his husband to help get him through his situation.
Relationships: Runaan/Ethari (The Dragon Prince)
Kudos: 122





	I Promised

**Author's Note:**

> just in case anyone needs refreshers for characters: 
> 
> Ethari is Runaan's husband (confirmed in 3x03) 
> 
> Tiadrin is Rayla's mother's name (revealed on the TDP website along with her design turnarounds) 
> 
> Lain is Rayla's father's name (revealed on the TDP website along with his design turnarounds) 
> 
> The Shadowpaw is the Moon cat creature that Rayla rides and was in the s3 trailer.

Runaan hadn't been in the coin long, but he could already start to feel like he was slipping. 

From anyone outside looking at the coin, they wouldn't be able to tell, but his left arm was almost entirely purple from the assassin’s binding and lack of blood flow. He tried not to move it, it was already painful enough just looking at it. 

He had no idea how long he'd been in here. Days? Weeks? Months? There was no sense of time in this thing. One thing was for sure, if he got out, and if he still had both his arms by then, he'd kill the Dark Mage that put him in here. He knew he wasn't the first to receive this particular punishment; the way the Mage had done the spell was practiced, almost as if it were routine to him. That, and the other coins he was shown before Runaan was confined to his own. Tiadrin and Lain were trapped in their own coins. A couple humans too, but Runaan cared more about his two closest friends being forced to live the same cruel existence as he was. 

He just hoped he would able to get out before he lost anything; his arm, his sanity, his best friends… 

His husband. 

Ethari had been on his mind since his imprisonment; it was a sort of coping mechanism. He and Rayla had been the only two to survive the mission, but Runaan knew Ethari would be watching those enchanted flowers nonstop. He was the biggest worry wart whenever Runaan left on a mission. In a way, it was kind of cute, but Ethari knew the stakes of this mission, and he didn't like them. He'd tried to persuade Runaan to take Rayla off the mission, stating- quite honestly- that she wasn’t ready, too good-hearted for this kind of work. Runaan told him it was out of his hands, and that even if he tried, Rayla couldn't be persuaded. They didn't talk about it again, but Runaan knew Ethari didn't approve. 

He should've listened to him, he knew that now. Ethari was right, as he usually was about most things. He regretted so many things, and now he was paying for it. 

He kept trying to think about Ethari; it was the only thing he could do. It was the only thing that took his mind off the pain in his arm, or the timelessness of being in the coin. 

His mind flashed back to when they first met. Ethari had moved from another Moonshadow village that had fallen on hard times. Runaan had been training with Tiadrin and Lain, and they, always the friendly folk, decided to talk to him and welcome him to the Silvergrove. Not even an hour after meeting him, Tiadrin had already given him a nickname: Tinker, for his incredible craftsmanship skills. For Runaan, it was love at first sight; Ethari’s muscular build and warm brown eyes had a whole swarm of Archangel Lunaris fluttering in his stomach. Lain noticed almost right away and suggested that Runaan ask Ethari out sometime. Not knowing how to deal with the new feelings he was experiencing, Runaan couldn’t even walk up to Ethari without turning red. Tiadrin and Lain proved to be both his biggest supporters and his biggest pains in the arse when it came to his feelings for the craftsman.

He remembered the time Tiadrin and Lain treated Ethari to his first birthday celebration after moving to the Silvergrove. They’d gone to the pub and invited Runaan along. To try and calm his nerves, Runaan tried drinking away his nervousness, but that didn’t end up helping anything when the tavern band struck up some good dancing music. One too many glasses of moonberry wine later, and Runaan found himself dancing on the table with Ethari, who was completely sober, but having fun nonetheless. For Runaan, it was a drunken stupor, uncoordinated and sloppy, but Ethari didn’t seem to mind, and Tiadrin and Lain only egged him on, ever the faithful wingmen. He was still surprised at how relaxed and unaffected Ethari was when Runaan woke up on his couch the following morning with the hangover to end all hangovers. The craftsman had made him a cup of strong, brisk tea and swore that regardless of whatever had happened that night, Ethari would keep it in Runaan’s confidence. Tiadrin and Lain, however, weren’t so kind and regaled him with all the details; how ridiculous his attempts at flirting with Ethari were, how giggly he got whenever Ethari spoke, and how he was only mildly handsy. Good times.

He thought about their first kiss. Ethari had asked him to go out with him one night opting to taking the Shadowpaw rather than walking (they hadn’t yet acquired the Moonstrider). Runaan was blushing the whole way, sitting behind Ethari on the saddle, holding onto his thicker, more muscular frame so he wouldn’t fall and breathing in Ethari’s smell. He smelled like hot metal, sulfur and coal, and on that particular night, Runaan noticed that he also smelled a little bit like lunar cedar, the same way most men in the Silvergrove did; the assassin was touched that Ethari had put a little cologne on just for him before the excursion. They arrived in a field that Ethari had been to before, and the craftsman revealed why he brought Runaan all the way out there; it was a full moon, and there was a meteor shower. The two sat for hours, watching stars stream past, seemingly coming from Garlath’s Furnace. Ethari’s brown eyes were staring up at the sky in such wonder, and Runaan felt a warmth inside that he’d never felt before: love. Before he knew it, he had the side of Ethari’s face cupped in his hand, that warm amber gaze off the falling stars and now upon him, and their lips met; softly, gently. Runaan was hesitant at first, but Ethari pulled him closer and dissipated Runaan’s worries with several more kisses. 

He remembered the first night they spent together. Winter had been brutal that year, and Runaan had ventured out into a blizzard to check on Ethari. They had been together for roughly a year, and Runaan knew the craftsman well enough that when winter set in, Ethari basically moved into his forge because it was the only place in the house that was warm enough. The assassin had brought extra firewood to keep the furnace going, along with whatever food he could find in his own home before trudging through snow that went up past his knees. When he arrived, Ethari swept him inside through a window- the door had been frozen shut- and sat him down by the furnace, burning hot and providing warmth and light to the whole room. Ethari was grateful Runaan had come because he had started to worry about him, and brought him a blanket to bundle up in. Ethari made piping hot soup for the both of them and they waited out the rest of the winter together, curled up next to each other in the warmth of the forge.

He remembered the first mission he went on where he was almost certain he wouldn’t be coming back. He must have been on one of the longest adrenaline rushes ever known to anyone, because it wasn’t until him and his team arrived back at the Silvergrove did he feel safe and that the mission had been successful. He’d fumbled his way through the dance required to get in, something that never happened. He went to the house he and Ethari now shared together, and the craftsman only needed one look to know what had happened. He held Runaan tightly for a good long while, allowing Runaan a much needed moment of weakness. Runaan took and breathed in everything, the house he shared with Ethari, adorned with some of Ethari’s finest works, the bookshelves and scattered tomes, the faint smell of the forge having been put to rest some hours before, and the familiar and calming scent of Ethari himself. The hug grounded Runaan in a way he wasn’t sure that Ethari could ever comprehend; he didn’t even realize he was shaking as badly as he was until Ethari had his arms around him. He didn’t question his boyfriend when he made the assassin take some time off, and it was interesting to see what Ethari would do when some of the other assassins tried coaxing Runaan from the house the following day. He just stared at them, jaw firmly set and didn’t say a word, but closed the door in their faces a little more rough than usual. 

He thought of the night they got engaged. They’d been together for a couple years by then. Runaan had wanted to show Ethari just how much he meant to him, so he’d conscripted Tiadrin and Lain to help him out. It took a week and a half of planning and checking to make sure Ethari wouldn’t be busy the day that Runaan had chosen. The closer the day came, the more nervous Runaan got, and the more he tried to not let it show. To this day, he wasn’t sure if Ethari knew he was nervous about something or not. It didn’t end up mattering all that much because when the day finally came, they took the Shadowpaw- this time with Ethari sitting behind Runaan on the saddle- back to the same field where they saw the meteor shower; where they became an item. It was one thing to be sitting behind Ethari and having your arms locked around him, but it was another thing entirely when Ethari’s arms were locked around you; Runaan could feel just how thick and sturdy the muscle in his arms were, and the assassin couldn’t tell which he preferred, sitting in front of or behind Ethari. When they arrived in the meadow, the clouds had parted to reveal the full moon, big and bright. Runaan gave Ethari a kiss and told him he wanted to do this away from the village and any potential prying eyes; that this was something special and should be done in private. He tried to continue and make it sound romantic, but he kept fumbling over words and rambling, which Ethari found adorable. Realizing he should just get on with it before he made too much of a fool of himself, Runaan pulled a small box from the Shadowpaw’s saddle, got down on one knee and opened the box. Inside were horn ornaments made from silver metal and each with a pale green gemstone set in them. Ethari almost cried when he saw them, and everything had started to make sense. Runaan admitted he felt bad going to another craftsman to have these made, regardless of what Tiadrin and Lain had told him, but he was absolutely sure of one thing: he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Ethari, if Ethari would have him. Ethari, now in tears, tackled him in a hug and agreed to have him- in more ways than one that night. 

He recalled their wedding. When anyone in the Silvergrove- or just in Moonshadow territory in general- got married, it was a  _ big _ event. The whole village showed up, and everyone participated in the preparations. Tiadrin had temporarily moved in with Ethari to help him prepare, while Runaan stayed with Lain. They were probably the most excited about this, second to Runaan and Ethari, of course. These were their two best friends agreeing to live out the rest of their days together, in their own sappy and romantic way. Lain was going to be Runaan’s Best Man, while Tiadrin was going to be Ethari’s Best Maid. The time it took to plan and set up the wedding was the longest time Runaan and Ethari had been apart aside from Runaan’s missions, and it was almost painful to not be able to see each other until the wedding day. Traditions held the community together, but they could be a downright pain in the arse sometimes. When the day finally arrived, Runaan couldn’t help but blush when he saw Ethari in his white wedding robes being led down the aisle by Tiadrin. Their vows had moved each other to tears, and while they were more than willing to just skip to being pronounced married, they managed to restrain themselves until the reception. They performed a traditional Moonshadow dance as a way of affirming the marriage, and Tiadrin and Lain speeches were heartfelt and full of inside jokes. 

He remembered when Rayla came to live with them. It was probably the saddest day in his life. He loved his friends dearly and wanted them to stay just as much as Rayla did, but he knew there was no persuading Tiadrin and Lain out of joining the Dragonguard; it was like a dream come true for them. Runaan was more the more worried one, he’d never had any younger siblings and while he did help instruct the village children on occasion, he didn’t spend a whole lot of time around them. Ethari, meanwhile, took the concept of raising Rayla in full stride, making sure she had a room to herself in the house and constantly checking with Tiadrin about what Rayla liked to eat and do for fun. Watching his husband delve deeper into the role of a surrogate father gave Runaan all sorts of warm fuzzy feelings that he couldn’t quite describe. The concept of kids and parenthood was an interesting topic; Ethari had told Runaan that it was okay if they didn’t have children right away, that there was no shame in waiting until they were ready, but Runaan had voiced a long-held concern that he wasn’t sure he would make all that good of a dad, given his career and all. When the day came for Lain and Tiadrin to head to the Storm Spire, Rayla was trying her hardest not to cry. Runaan noticed and scooped her up in his arms and held her for a long moment, patting her back and telling her it was okay to miss her parents. He reminded her that she would be getting letters from them soon, and on her birthday as well. That cheered her up enough and when Rayla went to go play for a little while, Ethari gave him a peck on the cheek and told him he’d be a fine father figure for her. 

He remembered the day he and Rayla went out on the mission to Katolis. Ethari had tried everything to keep them both from going, and Runaan understood why. Runaan going out on a mission was one thing, but Rayla was different. Ethari had told him that Rayla was too good-hearted for assassin’s work, and while Runaan knew that to be mostly true, he couldn’t do anything about it. Rayla wouldn’t and couldn’t be persuaded to stay home. It sent Ethari into a state of worry that Runaan had never seen before, in all their years together. He was constantly making adjustments to their weapons, making sure Rayla was eating enough, doing that little braid in her hair so it wouldn’t get in her face, double checking the metal lotuses to see that they worked properly. Runaan understood the mindset Ethari had fallen into: if he couldn’t keep them here where it’s safe, then he’ll do whatever he can to make sure they come home safe. Runaan appreciated the efforts more than Ethari knew, and kept reassuring his husband that Rayla was ready, that she could do this. When the day came, Ethari held him for a little while longer before getting out of bed. He braided Runaan’s hair and helped him get dressed. He made a big breakfast, and waited for the other assassins. 

He remembered how Ethari looked at him when it was his turn to receive one of the metal lotuses. Love and warmth were there as always, but there was concern and worry in there, too. The way his brown brows furrowed just a little when they locked eyes melted Runaan’s heart, but he knew he had to stay focused. Ethari’s words further tested him; the soft way he spoke, the way he put all his love for Runaan into those words… 

" _ My heart goes out with this one _ ," he’d said. 

Runaan couldn’t help but smile just a little. He knew Ethari was worried, but it moved him that his husband would still support him. No matter what. 

“ _ Don’t worry _ ,” Runaan had replied, cupping the side of Ethari’s face. The way Ethari leaned into his touch made it all the more difficult to keep up his usual demeanor in front of everyone else. “ _ I promise I will return your heart to you _ .” He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on his husband’s lips. Runaan tried to convey everything in that kiss the way Ethari did with his words. Tried to convey that everything was going to be alright, that they’d both come home and everything would be as it was. 

Runaan didn’t realize he was crying until he put a hand- his good hand- to his face, trying to hold in the whimpers and sad sighs. Those words haunted him now. He knew Ethari would mourn if he saw the lotus sink, but Runaan didn’t know if being in the coin connected back to the lotus. Part of him liked to think that it wasn’t, but the assassin knew what Dark Magic was capable of, how it could deceive items made from Primal Magic. So he knew his chances of the lotus staying afloat in the fountain was very low. Ethari thought he was dead, and imagining his husband in all that pain broke Runaan’s heart. At least Rayla had the Dragon Prince’s egg. If he couldn’t make it home, he hoped beyond hope that she would, human princes or no human princes. He just hoped Rayla wouldn’t be Ghosted from the Silvergrove. 

Runaan was crying harder now, the pain in his arm only adding to the emotional pain he was experiencing. The marks across his nose would surely be smudged by the time he got out; if he got out. 

“I promised-” Runaan whispered tearfully to no one, “-and I couldn’t keep my promise. I’m so sorry, Ethari.” 


End file.
